How to Fix A Phantom Flusher In Murrieta?
Phantom flusher is a built-in feature of some refill valves (also called ballcocks); the device sits on the left side of the toilet tank. Most commonly this phantom flusher is a result of a flapper malfunction. Ghost or phantom flusher is usually the result of a worn rubber flapper that is allowing water to seep from the tank into the bowl and down the sewer. Phantom flushing does not involve paranormal activity with your toilet, but rather a phenomenon with your toilet sounding like it is flushing when nobody is near it.
More often than not, the cause of phantom flushing is the toilets stopped failing to seal against the seat of the flush valve as tight as it should be. Phantom flusher does not have anything to do with apparitions using the toilet but is a term used to describe the sound of the toilet flushing even though nobody is near the toilet at the time. Phantom flushing is when you hear the toilet filling with water and no one has been in there.The neat feature of a Phantom Flusher is that it not only tells you when the toilet is leaking, but it also tells you which part of the tank needs fixing, it’s the flush valve flapper, ball or disk that needs replacing.
Phantom Flushing Toilets
Sensor-operated toilets, sinks and urinals. You know them, you use them, and if you are a water-conscious Californian, you probably hate them. The commercial, institutional and industrial sector is more difficult. There isn’t a lot of good data about water use, and we don’t have good data about the fixtures that are installed. I think there is a real gap there.”
While consumers are busy investing in low-flow toilets and showerheads at home, malfunctioning automatic plumbing fixtures in offices, malls and other public buildings are busy wasting water. Toilets flush when we don’t need them to flush, and sinks keep running after we’ve left the room. The no-touch plumbing fixtures that were the answer to America’s germaphobe prayers now look like water-wasting villains of California’s nightmare drought scenario.
“You can never be more water-efficient than with a manual flush. One person, one flush,” said John Koeller, principal at Maximum Performance Testing, a Yorba Linda-based water-efficiency company. “We consider auto valve (fixtures) highly wasteful water-wise, because almost every valve that is designed to sense body movement is going to flush multiple times. The same is true for urinals. They are very hygienic, and that is great. The sacrifice is water waste.” See more here.
Phantom flushing is the term used for a leaking toilet tank and one of the most common causes of phantom flushing is a worn-out flapper valve in the toilet’s tank.
Chase Down Cause Of The Phantom Flush
The most common cause of the leak is a loose-fitting flapper. The flapper is the small rubber piece that sits down over the hole that leads from the tank to the toilet bowl. There are several reasons why this seal would go bad. Turn off the water supply and flush the toilet to let most of the water drain out of the tank and into the bowl. Now, remove the flapper and clean it. Use a very fine sandpaper around the edge where it sits on the gasket. Then use a light coating of petroleum jelly on this area. Clean the gasket, sand it and grease it, too, without removing it. Then replace the flapper.
If the flapper is really worn, just replace it with a new one. They don’t cost that much. Check the chain from the handle to the flapper to make sure that it lifts the flapper up about three-fourths of the way. Make sure the chain isn’t dangling and getting in the way as the flapper reseals. If you still have a problem, check and adjust the water level in the tank. If it is set up too high, then water may still be rising and going out over the overflow tube and into the bowl. This can cause the “phantom flush.” Read more here.
Phantom flushing can waste hundreds of gallons of water in a single month and to prevent this from happening, you need to make sure all the tank seals are intact.
How to Prevent Toilet Ghost Flushing
If the water refill valve on your toilet suddenly switches on after a period of inactivity, it can give the spooky impression of a ghost flushing the toilet, especially when it happens late at night. The cause of ghost, or phantom, flushing is easy to understand, and prevention is a straightforward maintenance issue
1. Check the integrity of the toilet flapper by putting food dye in the tank and refraining from flushing the toilet for about 30 minutes. If the bowl water turns the same color as the dye, it means the flapper is leaking.
2. Lengthen the chain holding the flapper to the flush handle by one or two links. If the chain is too short, it prevents the flapper from seating in the syphon hole and may cause the type of slow leak that produces phantom flushing. Repeat the dye test after lengthening the chain. If the tank water discolors again, replace the flapper.
3. Turn off the water supply and hold down the flush handle to empty the tank. Remove the flapper by disengaging it from the chain that connects it to the flush handle and unhooking its two ears from the overflow tube. Take it to the hardware store so you can find an identical replacement. There are many types of flappers, and not all will fit your toilet. Read full article here.
Common Toilet Problem Is A Phantom Flusher
Every so often we get a call from someone who reports their toilet flushing when nobody has used it. What is actually happening is the toilet tank refilling as the water drains out of the tank and the water level gets low enough to trip the fill valve and the tank refills. This is called “Ghost” or “phantom flusher” and is usually a leak, the result of a worn rubber flapper that is allowing water to seep from the tank into the bowl and down the sewer. A poorly fitting flapper can waste a huge amount of water, and that can get expensive. An improperly adjusted flapper chain also could cause the problem.
Although not a particularly tough fix if caught in time, it’s never a bad idea to call a professionally licensed plumber to rid your house of this “ghost”. A good plumber will usually replace the flapper and the fill valve at the same time. This will usually eliminate the problem. Then your plumber should also check the tank, the bolts and other parts of the toilet to make sure everything is working properly. If you have any toilet plumbing problems our professional plumber in Murrieta is ready to help you fix and reduce your plumbing problems just reach us here: (951) 319-2353 for your concerns.
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The post Do You Have A Phantom Flusher Toilet? appeared first on Murrieta Plumber | Murrieta Plumbing Services Residential Commercial.
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